Canning machine



Dec. 12, '1961 A. CHRISTIANSEN 3,012,595

* CANNING MACHINE Filed Oct. 2, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. l viz eaw L. ('H /srm/vsE/v Dec- 12, 1961 A. CHRISTIANSEN 3,012,595

CANNING MACHINE Filed Oct. 2, 1958 s Sheets-Sheet 2 'INVENTOR. ANDREW 1/. O/e/s'r/nusE/J,

Dec. 12, 1961 A. CHRISTIANSEN 3,

CANNING MACHINE Filed 001;. 2, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Jflz 71 32 INVENTOR. A/WREWL. (AW/STMNSM j y Q nite Calif.

Filed Oct. 2, 1958, Ser. No. 764,954 8 Claims. (Cl. 146-153) This invention relates to a canning machine and is more particularly concerned with a machine adapted to cut and cube foodstuff within a can, during the canning operation.

In the art of canning and where relatively firm and solid food, such as fish, is being handled, it has long been desired to cube the food for canning. However, due to the fragile nature of the food and the difiiculty of handling packing it in cube form, such a form of packing or canning has been considered economically impractical and has been avoided.

Attempts have been made to cube solid pack foodstuff in the cans in which it is engaged by inserting cutting implements into the cans before they are closed, however, due to the tendency for the cutting implements to draw the food from the cans when they are withdrawn therefrom and due to the tendency for the bottoms of the cans to buckle and yield upon the introduc tion of the cutting implements into engagement in the cans and the food therein, such attempts have met with only partial and limited success.

An object of the present invention is to provide a machine for cubing food packed in cans, before the cans are closed and sealed.

- Another object of the present invention is to provide a machine of the character referred to having a cutting means adapted to be engaged in a can filled with foodstuff to cut the foodstuff in a predetermined manner.

Another object of my invention is to provide a machine of the character referred to having support means adapted to engage and support the bottoms of the cans as the cutting means is engaged therein.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a machine having novel feed means for the cans and having novel drive and actuating means for the cutting and supporting means and operating in synchronism with the said feed means.

A feature of the present invention is to provide a cutting means for a machine of the character referred to which involves a pair of spaced, vertically shiftable cutting heads, each head having a plurality of spaced parallel blades, the heads being adapted to be selectively engaged in each can of food.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a cutting means of the character referred to wherein the blades of the cutting head are angularly related to each other, whereby they establish cuts in the canned food, at angles to each other.

Another object of the present invention is to provide means associated with the blades of the cutting means and with the cans, which means prevents the blades from withdrawing the foods from the cans as they are retracted therefrom.

Another feature of my invention is to provide a support means which involves a plurality of vertically shiftable supporting pads to occur below the cans and adapted to be shifted upwardly to support the cans when the cutting heads are urged into engagement therein.

it is an object of the present invention to provide a machine of the character referred to that can be advantageously related to other existing canning machinery, Without the necessity of rebuilding and redesigning said other tates atent machinery and which is capable of automatically handling and acting upon a continuous supply of cans.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a machine of the character referred to which is easy and economical of manufacture and which is both highly effective and dependable in operation.

The various objects and features of my invention will be fully understood from the following detailed description of a typical preferred form and application of my invention, throughout which description reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the machine that I provide and showing certain parts thereofbroken away to better illustrate the construction. x

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an open can and showing food therein after it has been acted upon by the machine.

, FIG. 3 is a plane sectional view taken as indicated by line 33 on FIG. 1. V

FIG. 4 is an enlarged detailed sectional view of a portion of my new machine and taken as indicated by line 44 on FIG. 6.

FIG. 5 is a view of a portion of my new construction and taken as indicated by line 5-5 on FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is an end elevational view taken as indicated by line 66 on FIG. 1 and showing parts broken away to better illustrate the invention.

FIG. 7 is a detailed sectional view of a portion of the machine provided by the present invention and taken as indicated by line 7-7 on FIG. 3.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged detailed sectional view of a portion of my new construction and showing certain parts thereof in an unactuated position.

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 8 and showing the said parts in an actuated position.

The machine A that I provide is adapted to cube a body of foodstuff F deposited in a can C, before the can is closed and so that when the can is open the foodstuff is neatly and uniformly cubed for serving.

The ordinary food can is characterized by a cylindrical side wall 10, a bottom wall 1 1 and atop wall. The top and bottom walls are secured to and sealed with the side wall of the can by a suitable folding and forming operation, which operation establishes an annular rim 12 which projects axially from the end walls of the can. As a result of the above, when the can is set on end, the end or bottom wall is maintained in spaced relationship above the supporting surface by the rim.

In canning food, the cans are initially formed with the side and bottom walls. The cans thus formed are filled with the food to be handled and then the top walls are applied thereto to close and seal the food therein.

Many foods, as for instance tuna fish, cannot be advantageously cut up into neat uniform pieces and canned firmly due to its fragile nature. As a result, such foods are either flaked or crumbled up for canning, or are cut into large pieces of predetermined size and shape and inserted into the cans in the form of a unitary chunk or body.

While the latter method of canning such foods, that is, inserting a single chunk of food into a can, results in a can of food which is neat and attractive and appetizing when first opened, the entire effect is lost when attempts are made to remove the food from the can, since the food therein flakes and crumbles in the process.

It has been found that if the solid packed foods are cut into cubes in the can before efforts are made to remove it therefrom, the food will drop out of the can in neat, attractive and appetizing cubic chunks and can thereafter he served or prepared in many appealing ways which would otherwise be impossible.

The machine A that I provide to cube or chunk a body of food in a can, is shown as including, generally, a frame B, a rotary table D carried by the frame, and adapted to carry cans of food to be acted upon, drive means E adapted to intermittently rotate the table D, can positioning and indexing means F related to the table D, can supporting means G related to the table D and engageable with the bottom wall of the cans engaged thereon, and cutting means H carried by the frame and operable to cut the foods in the cans when the cans are carried by the table and are engaged and supported by the means G.

In addition to the foregoing, the machine A further includes a suitable feed means I carried to the frame and adapted to handle a supply of cans of food to be acted upon and to deliver said cans of food for further treatment and handling after they have been acted upon.

The frame B that I provide is a simple, open, elongate, box-like framework having front and rear ends. In the case illustrated, the frame B is formed of plate steel, strap and angle iron and the like, and is adapted to support the various other elements, parts and means of the machine as required. Due to the fact that the exact nature and construction of the frame B does not have any bearing on the novelty of the present invention, and can vary widely in form and construction, I will not burden this application with further detailed description of the particular frame B illustrated in the drawings.

The rotary table D is a simple, fiat, horizontally disposed disc-shaped member and is carried in the frame B by means of an elongate, vertically disposed axle 15 rotatbly carried by vertically spaced pillow block-type bearings 16 fixed to parts of the frame occurring above and below the table.

In the case illustrated, the table D is provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced openings 17 adapted to receive parts of the supporting means G and a plurality of circumferentially spaced notches 18 about its outer peripheral edge and adapted to cooperate with parts of the indexing means F, as will hereinafter be described.

In the particular case under consideration, I have shown the table as having ten equally spaced openings 17 and notches 18 provided therein.

The drive means E adapted to intermittently rotate the table D is shown as including an electric motor M at the bottom of the frame B, adjacent the front end thereof, and having a power shaft 19 project therefrom to extend transversely of the frame, a crank 20 at the end of the power shaft 19, a horizontally disposed countershaft 21 spaced rearward of and extending parallel with the power shaft, a ratchet wheel 22 at one end of the countershaft, a U-shaped member or yoke 23 pivotally carried by said one end of the countershaft and embracing the ratchet wheel, a ratchet pawl 24 pivotally carried by the yoke and engageable with the ratchet wheel, and a link 25 pivotally connected with and extending between the crank 20 and the yoke 23. The crank and ratchet mechanism set forth above is proportioned and designed so that each time the power shaft and crank are rotated one revolutron, the ratchet wheel 22 and the countershaft 23 are rotated one/ tenth of one revolution.

The drive means E further includes a bevel gear 26 at the other end of the countershaft 21, a vertically disposed drive shaft 27 projecting upwardly from a point adjacent the said other end of the countershaft 21, a bevel gear 28 on the lower end of the driven shaft 27 and meshed with the gear 26, a drive gear 29 at the upper end of the driven shaft, and a driven gear 30 at the lower end of the axle 15 for the rotary table and meshed with said driven gear 27.

With the above relationship of parts, it will be apparent that the means E serves to intermittently rotate the table D one/tenth of on revolution each time the power shaft 19 of the prime mover and the crank 20 thereon makes one revolution.

In practice, and as illustrated throughout the drawings,

4 the several shafts 19, 21 and 27 are rotatably mounted and supported in the frame by suitable pillow block-type bearings 31.

The can positioning and indexing means F that I provide is shown as involving a flat, horizontally disposed disc-shaped plate 32 fixed to the top of the rotary table D in predetermined vertical spaced relationship thereabove. The plate 32 is shown as having a plurality (10) of circumferentially spaced, radially outwardly opening concaved or semi-circular can-receiving recesses 33 therein. The recesses 33 correspond in diametric extent with the cans being handled and register and are concentric with the openings 17 provided in the table D for the supporting means G.

In the case illustrated, the plate 32 is secured to the table D by means of suitable bolt-type fasteners 34.

The means F is shown as further including a spring loaded ball unit 35 carried by the frame B adjacent the outer periphery of the table D. The ball of the unit 35 is adapted to engage in the notches 18 in the table D and to assure proper positioning and indexing of the table each time it is shifted by the drive means E.

The means F that I provide further includes an arcuate retainer bar or rail 36 which extends about the forward periphery portion of the plate 32 in radial spaced relationship therewith. The rail 36 is adapted to establish sliding engagement with the can C engaged in the notches 33 of the plate and to maintain them in seated engagement therein.

The can supporting means G, which means is adapted to engage and support the bottom walls 11 of the cans C, when they are engaged on the table D and in the notches 33 of the plate 32, is shown as including, a discshaped pad 37 arranged in each opening 17 in the table D to normally occur flush therewith, an elongate, vertically disposed push rod 38 depending from each pad and slidably engaged in a suitable bearing block 39 fixed to the under or bottom side of the table D, a head 40 at the lower end of the push rod 38 and a compression spring 41 surrounding the said push rod to occur between the head and the bearing block and normally yieldingly urging the said rod and pad downwardly to their unactuated position and where the pad seats on the top of the bearing block and is flush with the top of the table, as clearly illustrated in FIG. 8 of the drawings.

The means G further includes an arcuate track 42 fixed to the frame B below the forward portion of the table D. The track 42 is concentric with the table and is of such diametric extent that it occurs below and intersects the vertical axis of the push rods 38. The track 42 is provided with a pair of circumferentially spaced cam projections 43 which project upwardly therefrom and which are adapted to be engaged by the heads 40 on the rods to elevate the rods and the pads into bearing engagement with the bottom walls 11 of the cans C, as the table is rotated. The cams 43 are positioned to occur in vertical alignment with certain of the rods, each time the table is rotated and indexed and so that when the table is stationary, the cans C which occur above the cam projections are supported by the pads 37.

The cutting means H carried by the frame B and operable to cut the food F in the cans C is shown as including, a pair of like, vertically shiftable cutting heads 50. Each cutting head 5%) includes a block-like body 51, a plurality of vertically disposed, parallel blades 52 fixed to and depending from the lower side of the body 51 and an upwardly projecting stem 53. The stems 53 of the cutting heads 50 project through and are slidably carried by suitable bearing blocks 54 fixed to the frame B and are provided at their upper terminal ends with enlargements 55. A compression spring 56 is provided to surround the stem of each head 50 to occur between the bearing block 54 related thereto and the enlargement 55 at the upper end of the stem and to normally yieldingly purge the head upwardly to an unactuated position.

The heads 50 are arranged in vertical alignment with the cam projections of the supporting means G so that when the heads are urged downwardly, the blades 52 thereof enter the supported cans and cut the foodstuff packed therein.

The heads 50 are urged downwardly by means of a pair of disc cams 56 carried by a horizontally disposed shaft 57 at the top of the frame, which shaft is rotatably supported on the frame by means of a pair of pillow block bearings 58. The shaft 57 is driven from the power shaft 19 at the lower portion of the frame by means of a simple chain and sprocket drive 59, as clearly illustrated in the drawings. The positioning of the cams 56 and the drive 59 between the shafts 19 and 57 is such that the cutting heads 50 are urged downwardly by the cams 56 on the shaft 57 upon each revolution of the shaft 19 and in synchronism with the drive means E for the rotary table D. The cutting heads 50 are urged downwardly and are retracted during the dwell between shifting and indexing of the table and when the cans are supported by the means G. The heads 50 are fully retracted from engagement in the can C when the table is shifted and the pads 37' of the means G are retracted and in their normal or unactuated position.

In addition to the foregoing, the cutting means H includes means adapted to engage the upper edges of the cans, when they are engaged by the means G and to slidably receive the blades 52 of the cutting heads 50 to prevent the blades from drawing the food from the cans when they are retracted or withdrawn from engagement therein. The above-mentioned means is shown as including a block-like body 60 related to each cutting head 50 and having a flat, horizontally disposed bottom surface 61 spaced above and opposing the top of the rotary table D, and a plurality of elongate, parallel, vertically disposed slots 62 adapted to slidably receive the blades 52. The block-like bodies 60 are supported in fixed position relative to the frame B and the top of the table D by suitable rackets 63 secured to the frame B.

The flat bottom surfaces 61 of the bodies 60 are spaced above the table D a sufiicient distance to allow the cans C, supported on the table D to pass freely therebelow, as clearly illustrated in FIG. 8 of the drawings.

In practice, it is preferred that when the means G is actuated, the cans C engaged thereby are urged upwardly into bearing engagement with the bottom surface 61 of the blocks, as clearly illustrated in FIG. 9 of the drawings. With the above relationship of parts, it will be apparent that when the cans C are engaged by the means G and the blades 52 of the cutting heads are urged into engagement therein and through the food F, the bottom walls 11 of the cans are suitably supported and will not yield and buckle. Still further, it will be apparent that when the blades 52 of the cutting heads are retractable from engagement in the cans, the food F is prevented from being withdrawn from the cans therewith by the slotted bodies 60 through which the blades extend.

In practice, the blades 52 on the cutting heads 50 are disposed at predetermined angles with respect to the table D and so that as the table D is rotated the cams are shifted from engagement below one of the heads to engagement below the other head, the blades of the second head out the food 'F along lines at predetermined angles to the cuts made in the food by the preceding cutting head.

The feed means I that I provide, which means is adapted to handle the cans of food before and after they have been acted upon by the means H involves generally, a supply conveyor belt 70 at one side of the frame B, a rotating transfer table 71 between the belt 70 and the rotary table D, a delivery conveyor 72 at the' other side of the table adjacent the rotary table and guide rails 73, 74 and 75 directing the cans C from the supply belts unto the transfer table, from the transfer table unto the 6 rotary table and from the rotary table unto the delivery belt.

The supply conveyor belt is a simple, endless belt engaged around a pair of rollers 76 rotatably supported at the opposite ends of the frame B adjacent one side thereof. The rollers 76 are simple drum shaped rollers having central axle members 77 rotatably engaged in suitable bearings 78 fixed to the frame B.

The top of the belt 71 occurs in a plane spaced above the plane in which the rotary table D occurs and is spaced laterally of the table. The belt 70 is driven in the direction indicated by the arrow X by means of a chain and sprocket drive 79 between the power shaft 19 at the lower portion of the frame and the axle member 77 on the forward roller 76, as clearly illustrated throughout the drawings.v

The transfer table 71 is a simple, flat, horizontally disposed, disc-shaped member having a central downwardly projecting shaft 80. The shaft 80 is rotatably carried in bearings 81 fixed to the frame B and so that the transfer table 71 occurs in a plane intermediate the planes in which the supply belt 70 and the rotary table D occur and so that the outer peripheral portions of the transfer table occur below the inner edge port-ion of the belt 70 and above the outer peripheral portion of the rotary table D, as clearly illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 7 of the drawings.

The transfer table 71 is rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow Y by a suitable drive means, which means is shown as including, a jack shaft 82 rotatably mounted on the frame B below the table 71 by means of suitable bearings 83, a bevel gear drive 84 between the jack shaft 82 and the shaft 80 on the table and a chain and sprocket drive 85 between the jack shaft and the power shaft 19.

The delivery belt 72 is a simple, endless belt engaged around a pair of rollers 86 rotatably supported at the opposite ends of the frame B and adjacent the other side of the frame. The rollers 86 are simple, drum-shaped rollers having central axle members 87 projecting therefrom and rotatably engaged in suitable bearings 88 fixed to the frame B.

The top of the belt 72 occurs in a plane spaced below the plane in which the rotary table D occurs and is positioned so that its inner edge portion occurs below the outer peripheral portion of the rotary table, as clearly illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 7 of the drawings.

The belt 72 is driven in the direction'indicated by the arrow Z, by means of a suitable torque shaft 89 fixed to and extending between the opposed ends of the axle members 77 and 87 of the rollers 76 and 86 at the forward ends of the frame. Due to the fact that the axle members 77 and 87, between which the torque shaft 89 extends, occur in vertically spaced, horizontal planes, the shaft 89 is fixed to the axle members by suitable universal couplings 90.

The guide rails 73, 74 and 75 directing the cans C through the machine are simple, horizontally disposed rails formed of bar or strap stock and are supported on the frame by suitable hangers 91 to occur in spaced relationship above the belts 70 and 72 and above the tables 71 and D.

The rail 73 is in the nature of an extension of the rails 36 of the means F and extends about the forward portion of the transfer table 71 and across and rearwardly of the supply belt 70. It will be apparent that the rail 73 engages and directs the cans C carried by the belt 70 laterally onto the transfer table 71.

The rail 74 has an outer rear portion occurring adjacent the inner edge portion of the belt 70, a central portion extending laterally and across the central portion of the tranfer table 71 and an inner forwardly portion which overlies the outer peripheral portion of the rotary table D. The rail 74 serves to maintain the supply of cans on the belt 70 in position to be fed onto the 7 transfer table 71 and to direct the cans carried by the transfer table onto the rotary table and into engagement in the notches 33 in the plate 32 of the means F.

The rail 75 has an inner portion that occurs above the forward portion of the rotary table D, radially inwardly of the cams C engaged thereon, and has a laterally and slightly rearwardly extending outer portion which extends over the delivery belt 72. The rail 75 serves to engage the cans C carried by the rotary table D and to shift them out of engagement with the means F and onto the delivery belt 72, which belt conveys the cans to a point or station forward of the machine for further handlin g and treatment.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that I have invented a novel machine for cutting and treating foodstuff in cans, which machine is both simple and practical and is both highly effective and dependable in operation.

Having described only a typical preferred form and application of my invention, I do not wish to be limited or restricted to the specific details herein set forth, but wish to reserve to myself any modifications or variations that may appear to those skilled in the art and fall within the scope of the following claims.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A machine of the character described including, an elongate frame, a rotary table carried by the frame and having a plurality of circumferentially spaced openings therein, drive means intermittently rotating the table, a plurality of upwardly opening cans having rims at their lower ends and engaged on and supported by the table, vertically shiftable support means carried by the rotary table and operable to engage and support the bottoms of cans inwardly of the rims thereof and vertically shiftable cutting means adapted to be urged downwardly to enter the cans and cut foodstuff packed therein, said supporting means including pads engaged in the openings in the table and smaller in diameter than the rims of the cans and each having a vertically disposed push rod depending therefrom, and cam means carried by the frame below the table to engage the push rods and shift the pads upwardly when the table is rotated to a predetermined position.

2. A machine of the character described including, an elongate frame, a horizontally disposed rotary table carried by the frame and having a plurality of circumferentially spaced openings therein, drive means intermittently rotating the table, a plurality of upwardly opening cans having rims at their lower ends and engaged on and supported by the table, vertically shiftable support means carried by the rotary table and operable upon rotation of the table to engage and support the bottoms of cans inwardly of the rims thereof and vertically shiftable cutting means adapted to be shifted downwardly to enter the cans supported by the supporting means to cut foodstuff packed therein, said supporting means including pads of less diametric extent than the rims of the cans and engaged in the openings in the table, each pad having a vertically disposed push rod depending therefrom, bearing blocks fixed to the bottom side of the table concentric with the openings therein and slidably receiving the push rods, heads at the lower ends of the push rods, springs between the heads and bearing blocks and normally yieldingly urging the pads downwardly into said openings and cam means carried by the frame below the table to engage the heads on the push rods and to shift the pads upwardly when the table is in a predetermined rotative position.

3. A machine of the character referred to including, an elongate frame, a rotary table carried by the frame and having a plurality of circumferentially spaced openings therein, drive means intermittently rotating the table, vertically shiftable support means carried by the rotary table and operable to engage and shift cans arranged on the table upwardly and to support the flexible bottoms of the cans and vertically shiftable cutting means adapted to be shifted to enter the cans when supported by the supporting means to cut food packed therein, said supporting means including pads engaged in the openings in the table and each having a vertically disposed push rod depending therefrom, and cam means carried by the frame below the table to engage the push rods and shift the pads upwardly when the table is in a predetermined rotative position, said pads being of less diametric extent and engaging the bottoms of the cans radially inwardly from the side edges thereof, said cutting means including a vertically shiftable cutting head carried by the frame above the table and having a body with an upwardly projecting stem and a plurality of downwardly projecting cutting blades and cam means driven in synchronism with said drive means to engage said stem and urge the cutting head downwardly so the blades enter the cans when said cans are engaged by said supporting means.

4. A machine of the character referred to including, an elongate frame, a rotary table carried by the frame and having a plurality of circumferentially spaced openings therein, drive means intermittently rotating the table, vertically shiftable support means carried by the rotary table to engage and support the bottoms of cans carried by the table and vertically shiftable cutting means to be shifted to enter the cans when engaged by the supporting means to cut food packed therein, said supporting means including pads of less diametric extent than the cans engaged in the openings in the table and each having a vertically disposed push rod depending therefrom, a spring means normally yieldingly urging the stems and pads downwardly, and cam means carried by the frame below the table and having a pair of circumferentially spaced cam lugs to engage a pair of circumferentially spaced push rods and shift the pads thereon upwardly when the table is in a predetermined rotative position, said cutting means including a pair of circumferentially vertically shiftable cutting heads carried by the frame above the table and the lugs of the cam means and each having a body with an upwardly projecting stem and a plurality of downwardly projecting laterally spaced parallel cutting blades and cam means driven in synchronism with said drive means to engage said stems and urge the cutting heads downwardly so the blades enter the cans when said cans are engaged by said supporting means.

5. A machine of the character referred to including, an elongate frame, a rotary table carried by the frame and having a plurality of circumferentially spaced openings therein, drive means intermittently rotating the table, vertically shiftable support means carried by the rotary table to engage and support the bottoms of cans carried by the table and vertically shiftable cutting means adapted to be shifted to enter the cans when engaged by the supporting means to cut food packed therein, said supporting means including pads of less diametn'c extent than the cans engaged in the openings in the table and each having a vertically disposed push rod depending therefrom, a spring means normally yieldingly urging the stems and pads downwardly, and cam means carried by the frame below the table and having a pair of circumferentially spaced cams, lugs to engage a pair of circumferentially spaced push rods and shift the pads thereon upwardly when the table is in a predetermined rotative position, said cutting means including a pair of circumferentially vertically shiftable cutting heads carried by the frame above the table and the lugs of the cam means and each having a body with an upwardly projecting stem and a plurality of downwardly projecting laterally spaced parallel cutting blades and cam means driven in synchronism with said drive means to engage said stems and urge the cutting heads downwardly so that the blades enter the cans when said cans are engaged by said supporting means, the blades of the cutting heads being arranged to occur in vertical planes at right angles to each other.

6 A machine of the character referred to including,

an elongate frame, a flat, horizontally disposed discshaped rotary table carried by the frame and having a plurality of circumferentially spaced openings therein, drive means intermittently rotating the table, can positioning and indexing means related to the table and the openings therein, vertically shiftable support means carried by the table to register with said openings and said positioning means and adapted to be shifted upwardly into engagement with the flexible bottoms of the cans engaged on said table and in said positioning means and vertically shiftable cutting means carried by the frame above the table and positioning means and adapted to be shifted downwardly to enter the cans when the cans are engaged by said supporting means, said positioning means including a disc-shaped plate carried by the rotary table in fixed position thereon and having a plurality of circumferentially spaced radially outwardly opening can receiving recesses concentric with the opening in the table.

7. A machine of the character referred to including, an elongate frame, a rotary table carried by the frame and having a plurality of circumferentially spaced openings therein, drive means intermittently rotating the tablet, can positioning and indexing means related to the table and the openings therein, vertically shiftable support means carried by the table to register with said openings and said positioning means and adapted to be shifted upwardly into engagement with the bottoms of the cans engaged on said table and in said positioning means and cutting means carried by the frame above the table and adapted to be shifted downwardly to enter the cans when the cans are engaged by said supporting means, and feed means carried by the frame to deliver cans to the rotary table to be acted upon by the cutting means and to remove the cans after they have been acted upon the cans having rims about their lower ends to engage the table and support the bottoms of the cans above the table, said supporting 19 means engaging the bottoms of the cans radially inwardly of the rims.

8. A machine of the character referred to including, an elongate frame, a flat, horizontally disposed discshaped rotary table carried by the frame and having a plurality of circumferentially spaced openings therein, drive means intermittently rotating the table, can positioning and indexing means related to the table and the openings therein, vertically shiftable support means carried by the table to register with said openings and said positioning means to be shifted upwardly into engagement with flexible bottoms of cans engaged on said table and in said positioning means, vertically shiftable cutting means including a pair of heads With a set of depending blades and carried by the frame above the table and positioning means and adapted to be shifted downwardly so that the blades enter the cans to cut foodstulf packed therein when the cans are engaged by said supporting means, said positioning means including a disc-shaped plate carried by the rotary table in fixed position thereon and having a plurality of circumferentially spaced radially outwardly opening can receiving recesses concentric with the opening in the table, the set of blades on each head of the cutting means being parallel vertically with each other, the sets of blades on the pair of heads being angularly related to each other.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,256,885 Dunkley Feb. 19, 1918 1,466,980 Baumer Aug. 28, 1923 1,766,824 Jones June 24, 1930 2,092,786 Taylor Sept. 14, 1937 2,795,908 Christiansen June 18, 1957 

